Fees and Charges
Confirmation of
session fees will be given with your offer letter. We do not offer discounts for siblings.
If parents access
hours above the free entitlement they will be charged per hour at a rate set by
the committee. Parents will be notified
of the charge when the child’s hours are confirmed.
Current Fees: £5.95 per hour (September 2020)
The Free Entitlement (Early Education Funding)
The local
authority provides funding so that a child can access 15 hours free entitlement
for 38 weeks a year from the term after their third birthday. The following table shows when your child
will become eligible.
A child born on
or between:
|
Becomes eligible
for free entitlement from:
|
1st
April and 31st August
|
Autumn Term
(September)
|
1st
Sep and 31st Dec
|
Spring Term
(January)
|
1st
Jan and 31st March
|
Summer Term
(April)
|
The funding will continue until
the term after a child’s fifth birthday or until the child takes up place in a
reception or year one class at a maintained school.
We will need to
see a copy of your child’s Birth Certificate to confirm that your child is
eligible for the free entitlement. We
will ask you to fill out a parent declaration form each term by a given date in
order to receive your funding for the next term.
Deposits / Registration Fees
We charge a
registration fees of £25 (payable once you have been offered a space). Parents who are only accessing their funded entitlement are able to claim this back if required.
Lunches / Snacks
Lunch club is
delivered as part of the learning experience and therefore it can be included
in a child’s free 15 hours entitlement.
No compulsory fees will be charged for food at lunch time. Parents are expected to provide a lunch
(including a drink) for their child.
You will need to contribute to the drink and snack that your child is offered during each
session. If your child requires
particular food or drink which we do not routinely stock, you may be asked to
supply this yourself.
Uniforms
Parents have the
option to purchase South Hill Park Pre-school uniform for their child; this
consists of t-shirts and sweat shirts.
Uniform is not compulsory. Second hand uniform is often available for a small voluntary donation.
Sundries
Voluntary donations are requested
for sundries which are not covered by your funding. Parents are expected to
provide their own nappies, wipes, suncream etc.
Items such as soap, hand towels etc are included in your free
entitlement.
Extra Activities
If parents wish to
take up extra activities that we may offer occasionally they can expect to pay
for these (e.g. Christmas pantomime trip), as such activities are over and
above the requirements of the foundation stage.
However, such activities will be optional so you can choose not to
participate if you wish.
Voluntary Contributions
We will not insist
on financial voluntary contributions in order for
parents to access funded entitlement sessions.
However,
please note that session fees only cover the requirements of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage), therefore all extras, e.g. new equipment,
books, snacks and cooking ingredients must either be paid for or you will be asked to provide some of your own resources.
Holiday and Sickness
You must still pay fees even if your
child does not attend on a particular session (e.g. family holiday; child
sickness). This is because their space
is still kept for them and we still have to pay staff wages and other costs.
Bank Holidays and Inset Days
There is not a compulsory charge for sessions
if the Pre-school is closed for a public holiday. You will not be charged for sessions on a
planned Inset Day (staff training or preparation).
Closures
Beyond our Control
Occasionally the Pre-school has to close due
to exceptional circumstances over which we have no control. Examples of this might include severe weather
conditions, vandalism, flu or other virus outbreaks. If the Pre-school is closed for five days or
less then you will still be charged for these sessions. We will endeavour to keep parents updated
through our website and by e-mails.
Price
Increases
Our fees are reviewed by the committee every
spring. It is likely that they will
increase by a small amount each year and this increase will come into force
each September. If you will still be
paying fees at the time of the increase you will be given at least 28 days
notice of this. Fees will not normally
increase at any other time of the year.
If we have to increase fees during the year for reasons beyond our
control, parents will always be given 28 days advance notice of this.
Invoicing
Parents will receive an invoice from us before
the beginning of each half-term period.
A half-term period is usually between five and seven weeks. The invoice will show clearly what the
charges are in relation to. Fees are
payable in advance and are due before the first day of the period they relate
to (the first day of each half term).
You will always be given a minimum of three weeks to pay your
invoice. Please pay via
internet banking or through employer childcare voucher systems (please ask for
details).
Payment Difficulties
If you are experiencing financial difficulties then
you must speak to Sarah as soon as you can.
We may be able to arrange for you to pay in instalments. There are sometimes additional ways that we
can help you. Speak to the Pre-school Manager and bring
details and proof of your current financial situation.
Notice of Termination
Four
weeks (term time) written notice (NOT including half terms,
breaks, etc.) must be given to the Pre-school Manager (other than those
children leaving to start statutory school at the age of five) or a notice
payment of 4 weeks fees will be required as agreed in the Notice of Termination
policy. This payment is always enforced
and legal action is taken where necessary.